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re-bushing solas props with new rubbers ?

E

Euk

New member
I have a bunch of solas props, and I've been experiencing ( as have alot of others that use them ) that the bushes are exceptionally hard - which is breaking drive shafts..

Does anyone here have a place I can buy soft rubbers so we can re-bush these ourselves ?

I cant take them to a shop, because I have 20 prop's to do - so I will press them myself..

I just cant find anyone to supply a good quality - oem soft bushing for these props..

any help appreciated !

( Oh, it's to suit a brand new 9.9 hp tohatsu - not even a week old.. )
 
tohatsu_guru, it's a 2 stroke, M9.9D2 355A

I'm breaking shafts on my other mariner ( 10hp Mariner Marathon ), and others in my club that have the same Tohatsu have done shafts - hence we have all narrowed it down to the hardened rubber in the solas and powertech props.

this is the same for alloy and stainless steel props..
 
tohatsu_guru, the mariners are breaking at the top on the spline - where they always break..

As for the tohatsu's, i'm not sure - I'm awaiting a response from the other tohatsu racers to see where theirs broke.. but we narrowed it down to SOLAS and PowerTech props..

I know the other guys are rebushing with a softer rubber, and are not breaking anything.. where as - I do one race, and dont hit anything, and I'm smashing $200 drive shafts... which is quickly becoming far too expensive..
 
Are we talking just above the spline at the bottom part of the drive shaft? Also, Tohatsu isn't aware of any problem with anyone snapping any drive shafts so your problem seems to be related to your area and your specific use...Apparantly racing. The hubs used in the Tohatsu manufactured props are the same hubs used in the Solas props as Tohatsu buys the hubs directly from Solas now. I would suggest contacting your country's Tohatsu distributor directly and see if the problem is unique or if they are just not passing on a news of a potential problem to Tohatsu. There are no cases in the U.S. of drive shafts snapping here on any of the older 2-stokes and we have been getting the Solas props for about four years. So that leaves us with the following:

1) The problem is in the drive shafts on a newer range of 9.9's.

2) The problem is in a specific range of new props.

3) The problem is due to using the engines incorrectly.

4) There is no problem.

I think it is probably 3 as racing can put unusual stress on crank shafts and prop shafts. IE Unusual stress equals unusual breakage. If your pals are all using the engines the same way it would make sense that you may all be having the same kind of problem...If so, changing the hubs may very well be the answer for you.
 
Elvin, I think you hit the problem fair on the head..

Yes, these little 10hp engines are being used ' outside their design parameters ', this being said - they are all thoroughly cared for and some of the guys I know that race know these engines intimately - and I'd not question that they're taking the best care of their gear ( as any racer knows, broken gear = $$ ), these 10hp engines are definitely not being used as ' fishing motors ', and see most of their lives at 75-100% throttle.. that said, mine recieves the best fuels - oils and regular gearbox oil changes ( every second or 3rd race depending on how much use it's had )

Just as I said in the first post, I'm really just trying to locate retailers of rubber bushes so that I can do these myself.. often we'll ding a prop in a river race, and you can cut the old prop to free the bush.. but it seems to be all a little too much work..

It has been noted that ' blacky's ' aka the oem props, do not break shafts - where as these newest batch of alloy Solas props ( Mariner and Tohatsu ) ( all came from hustler marine ) broke 5 different boat's drive shafts without striking submerged objects..

I broke a brand new shaft without hitting anything, my friend also was in clear water when he too broke a shaft.. and a previous race winner that has been racing for 20 years also broke a shaft ( so I trust him when he says he didnt hit anything ), other more experienced guys have told me that ' the solas rubber is too hard, and theres no flex - hence you are breaking shafts '
 
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